SINGAPORE: The United States has fallen out of the world’s top 10 most powerful passports for the first time in 20 years, marking a continued decline in the strength of the American passport.
According to the latest Henley Passport Index, released on Tuesday (Oct 14), the US passport now ranks 12th globally, tying with Malaysia and offering visa-free access to 180 out of 227 destinations.
Singapore, with access to 193 destinations visa-free, occupies the top spot, while South Korea came in second with 190 destinations, followed by Japan at third place with 189 destinations. The Henley Passport Index ranks a country’s passport based on the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. It is one of the most cited passport-power indexes, along with the Arton Capital Passport Index.
In 2014, the US passport held the top position, but this has declined over the years, and the latest ranking marks its lowest position since the index was launched 20 years ago.
Henley and Partners, a firm specialising in residence and citizenship planning, attributed the declining strength of the US passport to the lack of reciprocity, noting that while the American passport can access 180 destinations visa-free, only 46 other nationalities can enter the US without a visa.
This puts the US 77th in the Henley Openness Index, which ranks all 199 countries and territories worldwide according to the number of nationalities they permit entry to without needing a visa.
“The declining strength of the US passport over the past decade is more than just a reshuffle in rankings – it signals a fundamental shift in global mobility and soft power dynamics,” said Henley & Partners chairman Christian Kaelin and creator of the index, which utilises data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
“Nations that embrace openness and cooperation are surging ahead, while those resting on past privilege are being left behind.”
